Method and apparatus for cooking canned goods



May 1l 1926.

S. H. PAXTON METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COOKING OANNED GOODS Filed July 17 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 11 192e. 1,584,397

S. H. PAXTON METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COOKING CANNED GOODS Filed July 1'7 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Eil 7/ .1 www/ZM.

47g I l Mags m y Patented May 11, vleze'.

UNITED STATES SHERMAN n. rAxroN, or sfr. PAUL, MINNsorA.

PATENT orrics.

METHOD AND APPARATUS ron COOKING CANNE eoons.

" Appucatmnralea July 17,

v must again be restored after the yretort is charged. It has also been difficult to maintain a uniform pressure or to attain the same -for like periods so that it very frequently happens that one batch of goods is cooked too much or is insufficiently cooked. Such charging and re-charging of the retort' also interferes with the constant progression of the articles through the factory.

' It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a methodA and apparatus by which canned goods or other articles to be treated in the retort can be continuously progressed therethrough without opening or closing th retort. It is a further object to provide such an apparatus comprising a retort provided with a liquid seal through which the articles are passed to and from the retort without break. ing. the seal. A

It is'still another object of the invention to provide'a means comprising the retort and the liquid seal connected thereto, together with a cooling device through which the articles are passed afterlea-ving the retort. It is still another object of the invention to provide a method of handling such articles nloy continuously progressing the same through the retort and the se'al thereof while maintaining a uniform 'pressure in the retort. 40 These and other obJects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views, and 1n which v Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic view of the apparatus in vertical section;

Fig. -2 is a'` partial Ylongitudinal vertical section through one end of the retort;v

. Fig. 3 is a transverse .vertical section through the retort;`

Fig.,4 is a horizontal section through Athe retort taken onthe line 4-4 of Fig. 2, Figs. l

"' 551 2, 3 and 4 beingshown on an enlarged scale;

1922. serial No. 575,727.

Fig. 5 is a partialview in side elevation of the conveyor used; and

Flg. 6 is a partial plan view of the conveyor used, F1gs..5 and 6 being on a still more enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawings, a retort designated as 1 is shown Aadapted to contain steam under pressure, for which purpose the same is provided with a steam supply pipe 2 havv lng a suitable controlling valve therein and' valso provided with a pressure regulator 3.

A drain pipe in ythe retort is-illustrated as 4. 'lhe retort 1 is shown as cbnnected at its left hand end, as seen in Fig. 1, with one leg 5 of U-shaped conduit 6, the other leg of which is designated as 7. Said conduit is adapted to contain a liquid such as water or other liquid, and the leg-7 is provided adjacent its lupper open end with an 4overflow pipe 8. The other end of the retort 1 is connected toon'e leg 9 of a similar U-shaped conduit 10, the other leg of which is shown as 11. This conduit is also adapted to contain water or other liquid, as shown in Fig. 1. The leg 11 is shown as connected at its upper end with the leg 12 of another U- shaped conduit 13 having its other leg designated as 14. The upper portion of legs 11 and 12 are arranged to contain air under l pressure and are shownI as provided with a valve controlled inlet pipe 15 and a pressure regulating device 16.l The conduit 10 is provided with an overflow pipe '17 .connectedV 'intermediate the legs 9 and'll, which'pipe will be extended a considerable distance upward above the retort 1. The leg 14 of the conduit 13 is provided adjacent its upper end with an overflow pipe 18.-

The retort 1 will, as stated, contain steam under pressure and the pressure of this steam which will pass into the leg 5 will force the liquid in conduit 6 upward in the leg 7,' as shown in Fig. 1, the weight of the'column of liquid in leg 7 above the level of liquid in leg 5 counterbalancing 100.

the steam pressure inv leg 5. It is desired to have a vcooling means for the cans of material as they come from the retort and for this purpose'the conduit 13 is provided'with liquid therefor.A As the cooling liquid could not be in contact with theother liquid in conduit 10 which. isv in\contact with the steam, a separating mediumof air or gas is used in the legs 11 andv 12. ,Thisair or gas` will form an insulating medium be'- 1 10 tween the hot water vand leg 11 and the cooler water in leg'12. Compressed air is charged into the'legs v11 and 12 and this air will be maintained under substantially the same` pressure as the steam in retort 1. The pressure in these chambers is maintained constant by the pressure regulators 3 and 16 which`will be of any standard and well known type for maintaining a uniform pressure.. The water in legs 9 and 11 will thtls be under substantially the same pressure and the level of thewater in these legs will be substantially the same. The pressure in theleg 12 will be balanced by the column of water or liquid\ in leg 14 extending above the level of the liquid in leg 12. By this arrangement the hot water in leg 11 will be effectively separated and insulated by the airor gas in legs 11 and 12 from the cooler Water in conduit 13. A conveyor 2 0 is provided which will be of the endless type com# posed of chains or other flexible members and this conveyor is arranged to carry the cans 19 of vegetables, fruit, meat, or other substance which it is desired to cook or treat in the retort 1. A conveyor 2O is shown as comprising chain links 21 pivotally connected, certain of which links are connected by cross members 22 provided with can. holding clips 23.. The members or strips 22 are illustrated as capable of holding six cans between the pair of chains 21 but it is obvious that this number may be varied, as desired. A shaft 24 is arranged at" the top of the apparatus supported in bearings in the end of retort 1 and in suit` able supporting brackets 25, which shaft is provided with a driving pulley 2.6 adjacent .the retort and is provided with a plurality of worm gears 27 meshing with worm wheel gears 28 carried on shafts 29 which lsupport the chain driving sprockets 30 and 31. The sprockets 31 are disposed at the '45- top of the conduits 6, 10 and 13, so as tov guide the conveyor 2O vertically in aline- -ment with and parallel thereto.J Shafts 32 are also mounted .in the retort carrying idle sprocket'wheels 33 and other idle sprocket wheels 34 are mounted adjacent the bottom of the conduits 6, 10 and 13, and another idle sprocket `35 is .mountedat one sideof the conduit 6 in alinement with one of the 'sprockets 31. As shown in Fig. 1, the conveyor 20 has a lower horizontal run and then passes over sprocket 35 vertically to one of the sprockets 31, then downwardly through the leg 7 over the sprockets 34 in conduit 6 and then vertically into the retort 1 and over the sprockets 30. The conveyor then makes a circuituous up and down movement through the retort 1 passing successively over sprockets 30 and 33, being driven by the sprockets 30. The conveyor then passes over twoofthe sprockets 30 shown at the right of the conveyor in Fig.

through leg 11, thence over sprockets 31 and verticaly downward in leg 12. The c0nveyor then passes over vsprockets 34 in the bottom of conduit 13`and upwardlyA over the driving sprocket 31 shown as at the right in Fig. 1, from whence it will travel to a suitable storage place or warehouse and be returned by suitable guiding sprockets, not shown, in the lower .horizontal .run shown in Fig. 1. V .In operation, the retort will be charged with steam under pressure and the legs 11 and 12 with the air 'or' gas under pressure and the liquid will take the position substantially as shown in Fig. 1. Asthere will be lsome condensation: of steam, the overflow lpipes 8 and 18 are provided which will besuitably positioned adjacent the upper end of the. legs of the conduits to which `they are attached. The legs ofcoiiduits 6, 10 and 13 will be of sufficient height to accommodate columns 0f water or'other liquid suliciently to balance the steam pressure iny retort 1. Such pressure is usually approximately ten pounds and a cooking pressure is rarely used exceeding twenty pounds per square inch. As stated, the steam and 'air will vbe .maintained under substantially the same vpressure by thel pressure. regulators 3 and 16. The overflow pipe 17 will be of suiicient height for the column of water therein to balance the pressure of water in conduit 10. The cans of material or articles to be treated will be sealed by hand or suitable machinery and will be load-ed onto the -conveyor-by hand or suitable machinery at a point such as designated as Ain Fig. 1. The pulley 26 nowl Aes .through conduit 13. The cans will thus be carried into the retort 1 without breaking the seal of the retort and will pass out of the retort without breaking the seal thereof. By this means, a constant and uniform pressure of steam may be maintained in retort 1 lliO and it will be unnecessary to open the retort a and drop this pressure of steam or to be successive-ly heating the retort and raising` the pressure therein to the desired point. The conditions in the retort can be ascertained at any time by suitable instruments and, 1f

desired, a portion of the retort may be made transparent to, observe the actions of the appara-tus therein. Asthe cans come from the retort as heretofore used, the ends thereof are usually bulged, owing to steam .being generated within the same and it lis desirable to cool the cans before the same are stored.

Thefbulging effect noted is caused by the pressure of steam'on the inside of the can duits and 13. lVhen the can leaves the liquidin leg 11 it immediately beginsto cool and is still under the external pressure as the pressure of air or gas is maintained in the legs 11 and 12. The can is thus preliminarily cooled in its passage through this air and is further cooled by passing through the liquid in the conduit 13. It will be noted that the can will still be' under the external pressure while in the liquid at the bottom of the conduit 13. The run of the conveyor between the sprockets 34 in the latter conduit can, of course, be made as long as desired and the can thus progressed through thel cooled liquid until the same is sufficiently cooled and the ressure on the sides thereof entirely relieve The can then passes up- 'wardly through the leg 14 and the external pressure on the same will be gradually lessened and the can will emerge from the liquid in its leg nicely cooled and ini-normal shape and without stress thereon. The ,can is thus cooled while under external pressure which is an important and novel part of applicants process.

As stated, the conveyor 20 will carry the cooked cans to a suitable storingl place or warehouse where they will be unloaded. It will be apparent that by varying the steam pressure the temperature in retort, 1, and driving the conveyor 20 'atsuitable speed, that a uniform cooking of the material can be obtained which can beregulated to a nicety. When such articles as peas, corn, or other vegetables are placed in the ordinary reto-rt and cooked in a sealed can there is always considerable liquid present and the said material tends to settle and remain at one end of the can; This often results in` an unevencooking throughout vthe can. By holding the cans, as shown, and progressing the conveyor up and down in the retort the material is Irioved about in the can and the heat will have ample opportunity'to efficiently permeate. and uniformly cook the same.

From the above description it isseen that applicant has provided an extremely simple and eiiicient means for handling articles to be treated or handling and cooking canned material.l By. such means the material can be constantly progressed through the factory and the retort and, cooking operation greatly speeded up and facilitated.

- It will, of course,.be understood that various changes maybe made in the' form, de tails and arrangement of apparatusandin l the steps of the method without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which, general y stated, consists in the mat-V ter shown and described and set forth in the appended claims. v

IWhat is claimed is:

1 A cooking apparatus having in combination, a retor-t adapted to contain a heated iuidmedium under pressure, a U- shaped conduit having one of its legs connected to one end of said retort, a U-sliapcd conduit having one of its legs connected to the other end of said retort, and a U-shaped conduit-having one of its legs connected to theother leg of said second mentioned conduit, the connected legs of said last mentioned two conduits adapted to contain cool lfluid. under pressure in the upper portions l and all of said conduits containing liquid.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1, and pressure regulators for said retort and for said connected legs ofthe last two mentioned conduits.

3. The method of handling and cooking material in sealed containers which consists in maintaining a constant pressure of steam in a retort, placing said containers on a conveyor and continuously progressing said conveyor in to, through and out of said retort without varying the pressure of said heated Huid medium therein, and progressing said conveyor through a cooling conduit in which lpressure is also maintained and then through a cooling liquid medium in the travel through which the pressure on the exterior of the container is gradually reduced. p

4. The methodfof handling and coo-king articles which consists in progressing the same through a chamber containing steam under pressure, ,maintaining said pressure on said articles while subsequently progressing the same through a water seal and a cooling gaseous medium and then progressing the same through a cooling liquid medium and gradually reducing the pressure thereon while passing through said latter medium.

5. A cooking apparatus having inv coinbination, a retort for containing steam under pressure, means for holding a column of water at one end of said retort, which-.column is supported by the pressure of steam in said retort and forms a water sealthere- 'y for, means for holding a similar column of water at the opposite end of said retort which also forms a water seal, a chamber for containing cool fiuid under pressure separated from said retort by said last mentioned water seal, means for holding a c'olumn of water at the other end of said chamber, which column is supported by the pres- ,sure of fluid in said chamber, and forms a ,water seal therefor, and means foracarrying woontainer' through said water seals and said retort `and chamber.

- f 6. The vmethod of cooking canned material which consists in progressingthe cans containing slaid material through a Water seal at one end of a retort containing steam under pressure, through said retort, through a water seal at the opposite end of said, retort into a cooling chamber containing cool Huid under pressure separated `from said retort by said last mentioned Water seal, through said cooling chamber and through a Water seal at the opposite end thereof, whereby the contents of the can are cooled While pressure is maintained on the exterior thereof.

7. A device for handling and cooking articles for canned material having in combination, a retort adapted to contain steam under pressure, a liquid seal at one end thereof, a chamberadjacent said retort adapted to contain a cooling gas, a liquid` seal between sa1d chambers, a'cooling liquid seal for said latter chamber and a conveyor `adapted to move through said retort and seal into a chamber containing cool air un. der pressure and then continuing sa1d progression through a liquid seal in which the pressure is gradually reduced.

In testimony whereof I aiixmy signature. v

SHERMAN H. PAXTON. 

